| The American automobile industry began in the | | | | Any mechanic in love with automobiles would |
| early 20th century and has been a huge factor | | | | love to work on some of the classic antique |
| in creating the society we live in today. It | | | | models of the past. What car fanatic wouldn't |
| was the driving factor in creating the system | | | | love to turn up the hood of a Model T Ford |
| of superhighways linking the country | | | | and customize it to their specifications? Or |
| together. It was the driving force in the | | | | create their own unique "hot rod" from the |
| creation of the suburbs, many of which you | | | | shell of a discarded antique auto. And who |
| can only get to by car. And, on the negative | | | | wouldn't want to play with an engine that is |
| side, it can be argued, that it was the | | | | real high performance? |
| primal force in helping to speed the breakup | | | | |
| of the nuclear family. It made travel so easy | | | | They See it as an Investment |
| that it became almost trivial for family | | | | |
| members to move cross country and start a | | | | If you know the market, know a good mechanic |
| family unit in an entirely new state. | | | | or are a good mechanic yourself, and are good |
| | | | at finding deals - finding, repairing, and |
| Antique car collecting and restoration is a | | | | reselling antique automobiles can be an |
| hobby practiced by people all over the world. | | | | excellent investment - or speculation. Like |
| Even American celebrities fall in love with | | | | any other form of investment, there are |
| them. Jay Leno, in addition to hosting the | | | | cycles. There are times when the market is |
| Tonight Show, is known for his huge | | | | flooded with sellers and few buyers. And |
| collection of antique cars and motorcycles | | | | conversely, there are times when you have |
| going all the way back to the early 20th | | | | many buyers vying for the same model of car. |
| century. Past stars know for their love of | | | | The key is knowing when to buy, when to sell, |
| cars are Larry Hagman and Steve McQueen. | | | | and what to look for. |
| | | | |
| But you don't have to be a celebrity to love | | | | Nostalgia |
| antique cars. People collect them for various | | | | |
| reasons. | | | | One of the reasons people love antique cars |
| | | | is that, for them, it brings back childhood |
| They Love the Attention | | | | or teenage memories. Maybe they had their |
| | | | first date in that car, or that is the car |
| Do you have a spit polished Model T Ford | | | | the family when on annual picnics, or maybe |
| sitting in your garage? Try driving that car | | | | it was the car to have when they were young |
| down virtually any street in America and it | | | | but they couldn't afford it. The nostalgia |
| is almost guaranteed people will stop and | | | | market is worth billions of dollars and those |
| stare at it. The same will be true for almost | | | | longing for the antique autos of their youth |
| any classic antique car. If you love being | | | | account for only a small piece of it. |
| the center of attention, this is one surefire | | | | |
| way to achieve it. | | | | Pursuing a love of antique autos is just |
| | | | another way of looking fondly and |
| They Love Tinkering | | | | nostalgically back at our culture and |
| | | | remembering our country's history. |